Wetsuit recommendations for ‘plus fit’ 6yr old

[Cumbriagirl]

Hi wiseones,
Can anyone recommend a tried and tested wetsuit for a plus fit 6yr old please?
Many Thanks

What is plus fit? Surely just buy aged 8?

Plus fit means the child is larger say around the tummy, legs etc not taller necessarily.

Where will it be used? Could you get an age 8 shortie suit so leg length not so key

It’s for the UK sea in May half term so we’d be looking for a long legged, long sleeved wetsuit - we’ve tried ‘shorty’ suits before but the child’s been so cold it’s spoiled the fun of the day.

Wetsuits are really not forgiving. You could try buying a bigger size and cutting off the extra material on the arms and legs. The neoprene fabric shouldn't fray. I'm an outdoor swimmer and many do this to get a better fit.

Lomo offers a good range of sizes for curvy women but I'm not sure if they do children's range.

I've used two bare feet for my DC wetsuits but they're quite slim.

My child is tall and broad. He's 6 and off the charts for height and weight - hes broad, particularly across the shoulders. We've found Mountain Warehouse to be the least traumatic ones to get on and off. I think with wetsuits though, they all vary so much by brand (would not recommend Gul for a well built child!), so checking measurements of child and comparing to brand size charts is probably vital really

You could try a 2 piece set to make it easier to get on and off. 'Two Bare Feet' do them. As a PP said, I think they are fairly slim fitting, but if you buy the two bits separately, you might be able to size up without it being baggy at the crotch. They have measurements e.g. chest, inner leg etc to work from.

We have 2Bare feet one currently but it’s way too slim a fit unfortunately.

Thanks. We were eyeing up the Mountain Warehouse ones - will order one this afternoon- after measuring!!

Ahhh I hadn’t spotted they do two piece suits - I’ll check them out now. Although as you say, they’re a snug fit at the best of times.

A good tip for getting wetsuits on and off is before putting hands / feet through the holes, place a plastic bag over them. They will slide right through :-)

I live by the sea, and it’s a known thing amongst the school mums round here that you always have to size up by a couple of years in wetsuits unless your child is particularly tiny!

so I’d buy an age 9/10, and I’d buy from vinted so it is

• cheap (because it will be outgrown by next summer
• pre stretched!

they sell very well so you can sell on again if it’s not a good fit or no longer needed.

my partner and I have 4 kids between us and over the past 10 years have probably bought and sold 20-30 kids wetsuits this way to get them what they each need and want each year.